Folding hat-box.



A. T. FITZGERALD.

FOLDING HAT BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 1mm}, 1912.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

ANNA '1. FITZGERALD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING HAT-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patonted()ct.8,1912.

Application filed January 8, 1912. Serial No. 669,920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA T. FITZGERALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at W'orcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Folding Hat-Box, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to a folding box or receptacle capable of being used in many ways, but particularly adapted for use as a hat. box.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an article of this character conised of a single piece of material formed in such a way-that it. can be rolled up into very small compass for transportation when not in. use, and capable also of having its parts assembled or set up in such a way that it will form a practicable washable, dustproof box or receptacle provided with light. and eflicient strengthening walls so that it will be capable of protecting its contents. For this purpose the several parts comprising the bottom, sides, ends and top, as well as the flaps or the like for connecting them are formed of a single piece of flexible material, preferably fabric,- and they are provided with strengthening ribs, preferably whalebone, all arranged parallel with each other, those of the parts which are 'conuected at their ends being separated at the points of connection thereof, so that they can be folded over on each other and the whole thing rolled up. It can be made of waterproof material if desired. The device preferably has additionalstrengthening ribs at the corners also and other features as. will appear hereinafter.

Reference'isto be had to the accompanyinc drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown Se up and ready for use with the rover inclined baclt from the top of the box. Fig.

'2 is a plan of the entire article spread outtlat and showing the inside surface thereof; Fig. 3 is a. wrspective view of the device when folded up and then rolled to form a par-liege for transportation, and Fig. his a perspertire view of a strengthening device.

in the form illustrated the invention is shown as comprising a single sheet of flexibiv textile material formed in such a way as .o provide a number of parts which when t. !lj12tS,-5ll0\\'ll in Fig. 1 will constitute a hat box. The parts are named herein with regard to the [)OSiilOl! which they occupy in the completed box. Year the center of the piece of fabric is a member it! constituting the bottom of the. box. At each side of his member are side pieces It and eat-h one is provided with end llaps numbered l2, l3, l4 and 1:3 respoclivel". it earh end oi the bottom are end piece and ii respectively. The sides are integrally connected with the bottom throughout their length, but the flaps on the Sltl arienliri-ly separated from the end pieces. .\t the end of the rear end piece 17 is a top member 18 provided with side flaps l1) and an end llap 20. The side flaps 2ll:-t) have tabs ll entirely separated from the end flap 2!). These several members preferably are suitably bound around the edges.

The parts above described, or most of them, are provided with strengthening ribs 23 in the form of pier-es of whale bone inserted between the exterior fabric and the lining. 'l 'hese may fastened by sewim along their sides or in any other desired way. The \vhaloboncs of all the parts in which they are located are arranged parallel with eat-hv other and transverse to the longest dimension of the article. Obviously the whale-bones in the tlaps 1'2, 13, 14 and 'lai will be entirely separated from those in the end pieces 1G and 17 because there is no connection between them along their adjacent edges. Tinwhale-liones in the two side pieces ll are. also entirely separated from, the whale-lmni-s in the bottom pier-e ltlalong the line at whirh these members are connected with each other. For this reason it will be seen that each of the side pieces with its two flaps run be folded our on the l;ottom so that the device will occupy only a third of the width indicated in Fig. Then on account of the streireiln-nine i'ibSzill being arranged in the. same (liter-lion the whole article can bi: rolled up as indicated in Fig. 3. "The flaps l!) and 20 are not. shown as being provided with strengthening ribs, but they can be employed here also if desired providedthey are entirely separated from the whale-bones in the top member l It. will be seen that the bottom has two of its whale bones at its edges and that the ends have them at the top to form rigid edges for the box. At the two sides of the said pieces ll are arranged strengthening rary fasteners th' soon are secured together so as to hold them in vertical position. In the same waythe two [laps 13 and 14: are connected by fasteners 26. These parts however do not constitute in themselves the ends of the box, but the end flaps are depended upon for that purpose and for the-purpose ofcovering the exposed edges of the flaps which have just been described as being connected. For this purpose the end piece 16 is broughtinto vertical position and secured to the two side flaps 12 and 15 by temporary fasteners 26" with which it is provided. In the same way the rear end piece 17 is brought up to vertical position andconnected to the two rear flaps by fastening devices 26.- This forms the entire box with the exception of the cover which is located at the top of the rear wallf' The side flaps of the cover can now be spread out and their tabs secured to the end flap by temporary fasteners 27 so that these three walls, will be made vertical. Then when the cover is brought down over the box proper it can be secured by a temporary fastener 28 or the like. It will be seen-also that the rear wall is provided with a temporary fastener 29 on the back by which the device is secured together when rolled up as shown in Fig. 3. A handle strap 30 is sewed ,on the cover 18 by which the device can be carried around. When the box is assembled in this way it will be seen that-the four corner struts constitute posts to hold'thc parts up in verticalposition and that the several whale bones --*or other strengthening devices on the side pieces and the flaps of the side pieces are all vertical. On the contrary the strengthening ribs or whale bones on the end pieces are brought into horizontal position by this assemblage of the parts so that they not just oppositely to the whale bone on the flaps. This constitutes a very strong and substantial arrangement 01 keeping the box in proper position to resist pressure from without, particularly on account of the way in which the two thicknesses of the ends are secured together near their corners. In order to increase this power, however, a strengthening device can be introduced inside the box in the form of pieces of wood 31 arranged in four-sided shape and just, large cnougl'i to be inserted in the box midway between the top and b ttom after it is set. up. This adds greatly to the strength of the. device and makes it rigid enough for all practical purposes. The four pieces are hinged together by a strip of cloth pasted to them. It is placed in the box horizontally about 7 half way to the bottom.- 1

The many uses to which the device can be put need not be recited in detail. -It is designed particularly as a hat box for ladies who do considerable traveling, and it will be clear that it. can be used for thatpurpose very etiiciently and that when not in use it will occupy very little space. It can be used for any other purpose also in which it. is desired to have a large bulky receptacle while in use and yet have it in convenient form to carry from place to place.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope ofthe invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, or to the particular. material specified but WhatI do claim is L'As mra'rticle' of manufacture, a box consisting of asingle piece of flexible ma-' terial having portions which when assembled in certain relation to each other constitute the sides, ends, bottom and top of the box, and which can be spread out into a flat form, said sides, ends and bottom having strengthening ribs therein, all of said strengthening ribs terminating at the joints between said sides, ends, and bottom and being parallel with each other when spread out flat, whereby it can be folded and rolled up into small compass.

2. As an article of manufacture, a box or receptacle consisting of a sheet of flexible material having members integrally connected together and constituting the bottom, sides, and ends of the box, the sides being provided with flaps at their edges,

'those of one side being adapted to'be removably secured=to those of the other side in order to hold the sides in upright.- position, the ends being adapted to fold outside said flaps and to be temporarily secured to the flaps when in upright position, the sides having strengthening ribs where the flaps are connected to them.

3. As an article of manufacture, a box or receptacle consisting of a sheet of flexible material having members connected together and constituting the bottom, sides, and ends of the box, the sides being pro-' vided with flaps at their edges, those of one side being adapted to be rcniorably secured to those of the other side in order to hold the sides in upright position, the ends being adapted to fold outside said flaps and to be secured to the flaps when in upright. position, the sides and flaps being provided with strengthening ribs all in vertical position when the parts are assembled in the form of a box, and the ends being provided with strengthening ribs in horizontal position when so assembled, and a top piece integrally connected with one of said ends and provided with strengthening ribs arranged across the same from side to side, whereby when the parts are spread out flat all of said rib, will lie parallel with each other, said 1 top being provided with downwardly extending sides and front end adapted to be spread out flat and having means for scour-- ing their edges together in position perpendicular to the top, whereby they constitute walls for covering the top edges of the sides and end.

4. As an article of manufacture, a box or receptacle consisting of a sheet of flexible material having members connected together and .constitutin the bottom sides, and ends of the box, t e sides being provided with flaps at their edges, those of one side being adapted to be removably secured to those of the other side in order to hold the sides in upright position, the ends being adapted to fold outside said flaps and to be secured to the flaps when in upright position, the sides and fiapsheing provided with strengthening ribs at their meeting edges all in vertical position when the parts are assembled in the form of a box, and the ends being provided with strengthening ribs in horizontal position when so assembled and independent of the first named strengthen ing ribs; and a top piece integrally connected with one of said ends and provided with independent strengthening ribs arranged across the same'from side to side, whereby when the parts are spread out that all of said ribs will lie parallel with each other.

5. As an article of manufacture, a box or receptacle formed of a single sheet of ma-, terial having arranged in a central line an end piece, a bottom, an end piece, and a top in the order specified, said bottom being provided at its side edges with a pair of integrally connected pieces constituting the sides of the box, said sides having flaps at their opposite ends, said flaps being free from the end pieces, and having temporary fastening means for connecting each lap to the oppositely located flap and to the end piece on the corresponding edge of the bottom when said flaps and end piece are brought to a position perpendicular to the bottom, said bottom and-side piece being provided with strengthening ribs arranged end to end therealong, but disconnected from each other at the points at which the bottom and sides are connected, whereby the sides can be folded flat on the bottom and the whole structure rolled up into small compass.

6. As an article of manufacture, a box or receptacle formed of a single piece of material having two end pieces, a bottom, and a pair of side pieces, said side pieces having flaps at'their opposite ends, said bottom and l side pieces being provided with strengthening ribs arranged end to end therealong, but disconnected from each other at the points with which the bottom and sides are connected, and the end pieces and flaps also being provided with strengthening ribs paral lel with the strengthening ribs of the bottom and sides but entirely separated therefrom, whereby the sides can be folded flat on the bottom and the whole structure rolled up into small com pass.

7. As an article of manufacture, a box or receptacle consisting of a sheet of flexible material having members connected together and constituting the bottom, rilltS, and ends of the box, the sides being provided with flaps at their edges, those f one side being adapted to be removabiy secured to those. of the other side in order to hold the sides in upright osition, the ends being adapted to fold utside said flaps and to be secured to the flaps when in upright position, the sides and (laps being provided with strengthening ribs all in vertical posi- -tion when the part' are assembled in the form of a box, and the ends being provided with strengthening ribs in horizontal position'when so assembled, and a top piece integrallyconnected with one of so id ends and provided with strengthening i'ilr; arranged across the same from side to side. whereby when the parts are spread out fiat all of said ribs will lie parallel with each other, said top being provided with downwardly extending sides and front end adapted to be spread out flat and having means f r securing their edges together in position perpendicular to the top, whereby they consti tutc walls for covering the top edges of the sides and end, said sides having vertical corner struts at their front and rear edges.

In testimony whereof I have hereun-o set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANNA T. FITZGERALD.

Witnesses:

ALmnrr E. FAY, (V). lrommsr Vassow 

